The GOP's Black History

Black History month is upon us and the Republicans will likely use this as an opportunity to ramp up their efforts to win more Black votes.  Demographic changes and increasingly tight presidential elections have put the GOP in a position where it needs more Black votes to maintain its electoral dominance.  Consequently, the party has begun to invest more resources–both real and rhetorical–to support this mission.  It won’t be easy and it will require more than platitudes about important Blacks in the GOP.  Indeed, acknowledging the contributions of Blacks in American history is pretty easy for the party.  The hard part for the GOP will be acknowledging its own role in the political history of African Americans. 

While the Republican Party is rightfully acknowledged as the leading advocate of Black equality during the Abolition movement and Reconstruction-era, it is its own history with Black America that will make it difficult for it to overcome its current problems in the Black community.  From the Hayes-Tilden Compromise of 1877, to the Lily-White Movement, to the GOP’s 1960s embrace of racial conservatives who opposed Black civil rights, to the “Southern Strategy,” to Reagan-era dismantling of federal civil rights enforcement mechanisms, to opposition of affirmative action, to Jesse Helms’ “quota” ad versus Harvey Gantt, the GOP has established a long and distinguished record of turning away from its historic role in advocating Black equality.

The relationship between African Americans and the Republican Party garners attention every national election cycle and raises a number of concerns.  Many analysts wonder why the GOP has been unable to gain a significant foothold in the Black community.  Still others want to know how the GOP found itself in its current predicament with African Americans.  Some even implicitly criticize Black voters for not being more open to supporting the GOP.  Some suggest that, given current political trends, the GOP should simply throw up its collective hands and spend no additional time or resources seeking Black votes. 

And then there are the cynics who wonder, GOP pronouncements notwithstanding, if Republicans really want Black votes or just want to appear to want Black votes to show racial moderation to their center and center-left supporters.  Taking the steps necessary to get large numbers of African American votes, after all, would alienate white conservatives.  Such cynicism is heightened by the fact that GOP pronouncements wanting African American votes are not aimed at Black America, but rather at middle-class suburban voters who agree with Republican economics but don't feel comfortable voting for a party that has a reputation for apathy–or worse–toward African Americans and other minorities.  The argument could be that the Republicans prefer to have issues on which to abuse Democrats as opposed to actually overturning controversial policies like affirmative action, gay marriage, abortion, and school prayer in order to get more Black votes.

GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman has made it a point to publicize the Republican party’s efforts to win more than their traditionally minuscule support from Black voters.  He has made high profile speeches to Black audiences in which he has said: “give us a chance and we’ll give you a choice.”  Well, if he wants the chance, he’ll have to overcome a long and negative history in the Black community to give African Americans a choice.

© Michael K. Fauntroy, Ph.D.
January 24, 2006